Ukrainians disappointed with the unwillingness of France to extend anti-Russian sanctions

Ukrainians disappointed with the unwillingness of France to extend anti-Russian sanctions

23.06.2016

Ukrainian media reported that France is lagging the extension of sectoral sanctions against Russia. The Council planned to approve the rollover of restrictive measures on June 24, however, the “fault” of Paris, this question had to be postponed.

photo: Gennady Cherkasov

The question of extending sanctions against Russia and was not included in the agenda of the European Council, scheduled for Friday, June 24, due to the lack of consent on the part of the French Parliament. This was reported by “UKRINFORM”, citing a senior EU diplomat in Brussels.

Earlier it became known that the permanent representatives of the EU agreed on the extension of sectoral sanctions against Russia until the end of January 2017. However, three countries – France, UK and Sweden — decided to use the procedure of “parliamentary reserve”, which provides for the approval of the question in national parliaments.

At the same time, the Agency source stressed that the EU still has time until the end of July to legally approve the extension of restrictive measures against Russia.

We will remind, on June 8, the upper chamber of the French Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the government to begin a gradual easing of sanctions against Russia. For the initiative taken by the Senator of “Union of Democrats and independents” by Yves Pozzo di Borgo and his colleagues voted 302, against – 16 (all in the chamber 348 members). In addition, on 20 June, Reuters reported that the restrictions are interested in Italy, Bulgaria and Greece.